Bushfire safety campaign says know your risk and have a plan

Western Australians are being urged to create or update a bushfire plan as we enter another unpredictable southern bushfire season.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) bushfire safety campaign ‘How Fireproof is Your Plan?’ has now started and is designed to help the community understand their bushfire risk and the consequences of not having a bushfire plan

The campaign is encouraging Western Australians to use the My Bushfire Plan website or mobile application to develop an easily accessible plan that outlines what they will do if a bushfire occurs.

Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm AFSM said having a bushfire plan was essential and helped avoid making last minute decisions that could prove deadly.

“During a bushfire it can be difficult to think clearly. Planning ahead will help keep you and your loved ones safe,” Commissioner Klemm said.

“This applies to everyone – not just those living near bushland. Embers can travel up to 20 kilometres during a bushfire, bringing the fire from the bush to your home.”

“If your plan is to leave, make sure you leave early. Only stay if you are physically and mentally prepared to defend your property and you have all the right equipment.”

The My Bushfire Plan website and app also provides the ability to create multiple plans per account and share plans, as well as drop-down fields to help guide users when completing a plan.

Multiple plans on a single account are ideal for people with holiday homes or secondary residences and for people travelling or staying in high bushfire risk-areas who want to plan what they will do if a bushfire starts.

The ability to share plans ensures family or household members know exactly what they need to do if a bushfire starts.

To develop a plan, visit mybushfireplan.wa.gov.au or download the My Bushfire Plan app from the App Store or Google Play. If you need support, contact your local volunteer bushfire brigade, group or unit.

Once completed you can access your plans at any time on your device, even without internet connection.

If you or someone you know can’t access the website or app, have a conversation about what you would do if a bushfire started, write it down and make sure everyone knows where it is.

During a bushfire, stay up to date with the latest alerts and warnings at emergency.wa.gov.au, 13 DFES (13 3337), twitter.com/dfes_wa, facebook.com/dfeswa or your local ABC Radio.